Cucina Povera - Tuscan Peasant Cooking for the Modern World

We were inclined to share with you  Cucina Povera  or “Tuscan Peasant Cooking” by Pamela Sheldon Johns because this cookbook promotes the use of creativity with the simplest ingredients which can really come in handy in today’s world in which making a delicious meal in a half hour or less seems to have become the inevitable ideal.

Johns is a California native who has lived in Tuscany for the past 20 years and has admittedly adopted a local cobbler named Virio Neri as her family's nonno (grandfather) who is frequently referenced in the book recounting tales of growing up in a small hill town before, during, and after World War II where hunger forced families to be conservatively creative with the limited resources of the land.  Virio even confesses a childhood memory of  regularly snatching up a handful of chestnut flour from a local grocer to fill his stomach.  Chestnut flour may not seem like much today, but in those times, peasants would live off of its sweet flavor and hardy substance in order to give them energy to work through a long day in the fields.

Cucina Povera is undoubtedly an unconventional cookbook because of its heartfelt and brutally real stories like those Virio would describe depicting a time when land-owners would disregard certain low-protein ingredients produced by the land and yet the peasants used those very same resources, such as cornmeal for polenta, as the foundation for some robust recipes which are ironically not only used today, but also served in high-class restaurants.

Here is a recipe from Cucina Povera we thought you would enjoy.  Please click here to find Cucina Povera in our store on Amazon.com.

Pollo Arrosto al Vin Santo

Roasted Chicken with Vin Santo Sauce

1 Chicken, about 3 pounds
3 tablespoons aromatic herbs minced with

salt (page 41), or your preferred combination

of fresh herbs

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups vin santo or sweet Marsala wine

Vin santo is a Tuscan dessert wine made with dried grapes. Marsala makes a good

substitute, or you can use a good dry white wine. Adjust the cooking time according to the

size of chicken you use. When the chicken is done, an instant-read thermometer inserted in

a thigh and not touching bone will register 165° F, or the juices will run clear when a thigh

is pierced with a knife.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a small roasting pan or heatproof

casserole.

In a small bowl, combine the herb mixture with the garlic. Loosen the skin

of the breast of the chicken and spread the herb mixture under the skin.

Rub the chicken all over with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the chicken on its side in the prepared pan and roast for 15 minutes,

then turn and roast on the second side for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken

onto its back and roast for 30 minutes, or until the chicken tests done.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm. Set the roasting

pan over medium heat and add the wine, stirring to scrape up the

browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to high and

cook to reduce the liquid by half. Drizzle the pan sauce over the roasted

chicken and serve at once.

Serves 6

— From Cucina Povera/Andrews McMeel Publishing

About Pamela Sheldon Johns

Well-known cooking instructor Pamela Sheldon Johns is the host of culinary workshops throughout Italy and was recently named one of the top 10 culinary guides in Europe by The Wall Street Journal. She is the author of 14 cookbooks including Parmigiano!, 50 Great Appetizers, and 50 Great Pasta Sauces. Pamela, her farm in Tuscany, and her cooking school have been featured by CNN Travel, Cooking Light, Food & Wine, and Canadian Geographic.

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